Making Portland ADUs More Affordable

A new company offers to install coach houses in homes, in exchange for a portion of the rent.

1 minute read

June 15, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Accessory Dwelling Unit

radcliffe dacanay / Flickr

Portland is building a lot of ADUs. A startup called Dweller wants to help property owners who might not be able to afford to build get in on the market. "Despite Portland's brisk ADU development market, the bulk of them are being built in inner-eastside neighborhoods where homeowners can tap large home-equity loans or have access to loads of cash," Steve Law reports for the Portland Tribune.

Dweller will sell units to homeowners, or "it won't charge the homeowner a thing, retaining ownership of the ADU, managing it as a rental, and handing over 30 percent of the rent to the homeowner. After 25 years, the homeowner owns the ADU outright for no cash," Law writes.

It doesn't take a huge property to accommodate one of these units, "A unit built off-site can be plopped into the typical 50-by-100-foot Portland lot without jutting into the setbacks and without requiring city design review. The only thing the city has to do is OK the site plan and foundation and utility hookups," Law writes. If this project is successful in Portland, many around the country will be interested in following suit.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018 in The Portland Tribune

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Single-Family Housing Construction

Understanding Affordable Housing Lingo

20 key terms in the affordable housing discussion.

50 minutes ago - Multi-Housing News

Close-up of hand holding charging cable moving toward charging port on electric car.

Undoing Biden's EV Rule

The partisan divide over how government should reduce greenhouse gas emissions was on full display after the Biden administration finalized its emissions standards rule for light and medium duty vehicles on March 20.

1 hour ago - Office of U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan

Aerial view of high-rise buildings on waterfront in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Moves Zoning Reform Forward

The ‘Squares + Streets’ plan creates form-based zoning templates for neighborhoods that promote mixed use and denser housing near transit.

2 hours ago - The National Law Review

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.